Perfection Has Its Price
by SereneCalamity
Summary: Gabriella's life is outwardly perfect. But with an elusive mother and daring and dangerous bestfriends, is it really as perfect as it seems? Troyella.
1. Chapter 1

**_…She wears perfect clothes, hangs out with the perfect people, is friends with the perfect guys… _**

_…Gabriella walking down the hall, her arms linked with two other girls, all of them laughing and talking. Troy ran up behind them and nudged her on the shoulder, smiling._

**_…Everything's perfect… _**

_…Gabriella leaning against a tree, texting and smiling…_

**_…Or is it… _**

_..."Gabriella…Um…Can you pick me up?" Sharpay's words were slurred, and it was obvious she was drunk…_

**_…Her outwardly perfect life, is living hell… _**

_…"Mum! You just got back from Paris! You can't be leaving me again!" Gabriella cried tearfully._

_"I'm sorry, Gabi, but I've got work."…_

**_…And no-one even knows… _**

_…"Gabs! You know where Troy is?" Chad asked. Gabriella shrugged._

_"Um…Dunno…" she mumbled, shrugging…_

**_…Everything begins to get worse, though, as Troy becomes more distant, and Sharpay becomes more dare-devil…_**

_…"Hey, Gabs?" Came the voice of a drunk-sounding Sharpay. "Can you come pick me up?" Gabriella swiped at her eyes, sitting up in her bed and turning on her light._

_"Sharpay, it's three in the morning! Where are you?"…_

**_...How will she handle it..._**

_…" Troy! I can't deal with this! You can't disappear for three days and then come back and expect everything to be fine!" Gabriella shouted._

_"Why not?! I'm allowed to do what a want!" Troy shouted back._

_"But we worry about you—and you go out of control!" Gabriella screamed…_

**_…How long before she snaps..._**

_…"Gabi…Gabi, I'm gonna hurl…" Sharpay pulled away from a frustrated looking Gabriella and doubled over. Gabriella turned away in disgust…_

_…"Darling, there's this man, he seems really nice," Mrs Montez said. Gabriella's eyes narrowed as she crossed her arms…_

**_…Will things get better…_**

_…"Gabriella, you're the one who understands me, you've always been there for me…I couldn't handle you not being here," Troy murmured, pushing hair away from her face._

**_…Or will she break completely…_**

_…"You stupid dick!" Gabriella screamed at her wall. She pulled the pillows off her bed and threw them at the window. Tears streamed down her face as she collapsed in a crying heap on the ground…_

**_…"Perfection Has It's Price"…Coming Soon_**

_Please review and tell me what you think. _


	2. Chapter 2

_Sorry about the wait guys! I've been typing hard-out lately, trying to get another chapter of all of my stories done. I will have the others updated soon!_

Her make-up was immaculate, her concealer and foundation all blended just right, smoothing into her Latina-golden skin. Her hair was pulled away from her face with a head band, the curls swirling around her face and tickling at her neck. Mascara lengthened her already long eyelashes, and her eyeliner was artfully applied along with her eye shadow, giving her a smoky, almost mysterious look. Three chains hung around her neck, one with a small cross, one with a silver love-heart and one with half of a pink heart with 'Best' scrawled on it, half of a best-friend necklace, the other half around another neck. She had a white blouse on, the sleeves short and puffed slightly; the first three buttons undone, showing a black boob-tube underneath. The top of a lacy, red bra showed slightly underneath her back boob-tube, which was clinging to her well-sized breasts. Beneath the top were a short pair of denim mini-shorts, clutching to her well-rounded ass and clinging to her slim thighs, showing off her long, tanned legs. There was a single, chain anklet around her slim ankle, and then a pair of black and white ballet flats on her feet.

An amazingly good knock-off Prada bag was thrown carelessly into the back-seat of a silver convertible, lying on the plush leather seats next to pair of expensive looking sunglasses. The girl slid into the front seat of the car, inserting the keys into the ignition, sending them swinging, three keys on the chain, along with the silver letter G. The engine started and revved as she backed down her driveway, putting the car in Drive and then taking off down the road, a black cat running off down in a driveway as she sped past.

The silver car turned down a road which was lined with large trees, their leafy produce shadowing the street even in the early hours of the morning. Houses the size of small castles lined the sidewalk as the car edged forward and then finally stopped in front of a house, and then horned sounded, echoing down the silent street. A moment later, two blondes came out of the house, making more noise. One was a girl with long, wavy hair which bounced around her shoulders. She had a pair of pink sunglasses which had glittering pink rhinestones encrusted around the edges. She had a white mini-skirt fringed with pink and a pink boob-tube on, the outfit showing off her tanned skin and her long, slim limbs. Beside her, a boy scurried along, wearing an immaculate white polo shirt, and black, pressed pants, topped off with a vibrant orange hat, which was tipped stylishly to one side. The Evan twins reached the car, both loudly kissing the girl on the cheeks and then climbing in with her. Sharpay Evans slid into the front passenger seat and Ryan Evans jumped over the door into the backseat, pushing the glasses and the bag onto the ground.

"Oi!" The brunette in the drivers' seat turned around and gave him a narrow look as she noticed the bag on the floor. "My mum got me that," she said, turning back around when he shrugged apologetically. Gabriella Montez stepped on the accelerator, and they once again were speeding down the road. As they neared the school, Sharpay took out her make-up mirror and quickly looked herself over, particularly looking at her neck. Gabriella glanced over, sighing as she did. "God, who are those from?" She asked in disgust at the sight of the faint purple marks on her friends neck which were partially hidden by make-up and hair.

"I dunno," Sharpay grinned. "But he was hot!" There was a slight laugh from the back seat and Gabriella looked in the rear-view at Ryan, who pulled the cut-throat signal. Sharpay caught the look too. "What?! He was!"

"The man had a terrible clothing sense—he had ripped pants, and an obviously ironed polo on—two items which do not go together," Ryan had obviously studied the guy well. "He also had black-heads galore all over his chin—I wouldn't be surprised if you caught them Sharpay." Gabriella and Ryan both shared a grin as Sharpay let out a yelp and grabbed her mirror again, inspecting her chin carefully.

"That would teach you not to get wasted and hook up with random guys," Gabriella said as she pulled into their usual parking space, which was reserved for them especially. Sharpay shrugged her head, obviously over the blackhead scare and just remembering the guy from the previous night. As the three climbed out of the car, a girl from the drama club ran over and started talking quickly to Sharpay, distracting her and pulling her away from the other two. Gabriella tossed her silky hair over her shoulder as she locked her car and secured it, turning to Ryan, who was looking after his sister with a look of dismay on his face. "How bad was she?" Gabriella asked under her breath as she fiddled in her bag, trying to find her timetable for the day.

"He was horrible. Sweaty and just after someone young to sink his teeth into. And as you saw on her neck, he did exactly that," Ryan winced as he thought about it. Gabriella shook her head, pulling her timetable out and studying it. "He looked about thirty." Gabriella's head snapped up.

"Please tell me you're joking," she said.

"Nah," Ryan shook his head. Gabriella rolled her eyes and put her timetable back in her bag, it instantly sliding down between a few books and getting lost. "Anyway, how was your weekend?" Ryan asked as they began walking up the stairs toward their school, becoming lost in the tangled throng of students.

"Not too bad. Mum is back until next Wednesday. She wants us to go out to dinner. Ya know, mother-daughter bonding time, since she's never around," Gabriella rolled her eyes as though it didn't mean much to her, but Ryan knew her well enough to know that she would be planning the dinner over and over in her head, fretting over what to wear, how much she wanted to tell her mother. Gabriella loved her mother, as all of her friends knew, even though Gabriella had never outright said it. Just seeing Gabriella in the days when her mother was home, her whole face lit up, and even though she was always happy, she just seemed to get a glow about her. "I went out to the party at Troy's on Saturday—how come you never showed?"

"I was helping mummy get ready for the dinner on Sunday," Ryan answered, thinking nothing of how he referred to his mother. People who didn't know Ryan very well would think he was gay, or a suck-up, or just some stuck up, spoiled rich kid who didn't have a brain of his own. But he was highly intelligent and very heterosexual, surprising everyone with a beautiful girlfriend who attended a school half hour away from their own school. And his 'mummy' comment was very usual, he was just very close to his parents, especially so to his mother, and the word just seemed to fit his vocabulary. Gabriella couldn't imagine Ryan referring to his parents any other way that 'mummy' and 'daddy'. It just suited him. It made him part of the Ryan they all knew and loved. "Did I miss anything world changing?" Ryan asked. He was hoping that something had happened between Troy and Gabriella—as all of their friends were. Gabriella and Troy had been so close since they were about seven, and even though they claimed there was nothing else between them, everyone hoped that they would realize they were truly meant for each other.

"Uh, not really. Kelsi hooked up with someone out the back. We don't know who he is, but we know that Jason was missing, as was Carlos, that big guy with black hair in the football team. So we think it was one of those two," Gabriella answered. "Someone spiked the juice, and Troy spent half the night in the bathroom with Zeke—who we all know can't hold his alcohol down."

"Jason to the first one, and Chad to the second," Ryan told her without a moment's hesitation.

"You think so?" Gabriella asked as they stopped at her locker. "I always thought that there was something between Kelsi and Jason. It just sucks that even if it really was the two of them, they were both two drunk to even remember they hooked up. And we had our suspicious about Chad and the punch." Gabriella laughed and shook her head. The next party they had with parents at home, they would have to keep Chad well clear of the drinks.

"I'll catch you later, I want to talk to Ms Darbus before form class," Ryan said. He waved over his shoulder as he walked off. Gabriella nodded, putting her bag in the locker and taking out the books she needed for the first period. As she saw her two other best friends near her, she grinned. Taylor McKessie and Kelsi Neilson approached her, and both gave her hugs. Their arms automatically linked as they began their way to their form classes. People moved out of their way as they passed. Gabriella walking down the hall, her arms linked with the two other girls, all of them laughing and talking. Troy Bolton ran up behind them and nudged her on the shoulder, smiling.

"We're studying after school?" He asked her. Gabriella nodded.

"If you buy me a latté with skim milk and—"

"Extra chocolate sauce and cream," he finished. "I know." He grinned at her, and Gabriella smiled back. From the perspective of those around her, she was carefree, harmlessly flirting with her friend, laughing with her best friends. She looked like a girl nearing the prime of her life. A girl who was lucky, happy…Perfect.

_Please review and let me know what you think!_

_xx_


	3. Chapter 3

_Sorry about how long this all took to update!_

School flew by for Gabriella, schoolwork coming effortlessly for her, and notes dropped in her lap from friends. She walked down the front steps toward her car, Sharpay and Ryan on one side, and Troy on the other, his arm slung carelessly around her shoulders. Taylor and Kelsi had called their goodbyes before jumping on their bus and heading toward the opposite side of town. Sharpay and Gabriella were in the front and the boys were in the back as Gabriella turned on her car and backed out carefully. Sharpay had commandeered the radio, turning Rihanna's latest hit up loudly. The boys groaned as the two girls pelted out the lyrics for _'Rude Boy' _as the car hit the road and sped along. Gabriella laughed as Ryan attempted to tackle his sister, in an effort to get to the radio. The car swerved as Gabriella's arm was bumped.

"Careful people! You smash my car; I'll smash your face!" She yelled. Ryan held up his hands.

"Can we at least change the song?" Ryan asked, needing to shout over the music.

"You get a free ride to work everyday in _my _car—why should I have to change a song of my liking because _you _want me to?" Gabriella reasoned, turning the radio down slightly to continue the argument, and argument which often happened in the car. "If you don't like the music that I want to play, why don't you just bring your iPod, or plug some headphones into that fancy iPhones of yours?" Ryan turned up his nose at her and looked away.

"She's got you there, Evans," Troy laughed. The music continued playing, the next one a Lady Gaga hit, as Gabriella pulled up outside the Evan's house. There were shouted goodbyes as the twins jumped out of the car and Troy climbed over the seat and slid into the passenger one next to Gabriella. From where they sat, they looked a perfect couple, her gorgeous Latina looks and his chiseled, tanned face. She pressed down on the accelerator and they took off, her long hair loose from the restraints of the headband. A song that they both likes came on, an old Chris Brown single, and they both sang loudly, not caring about the looks they received from ones around them as they pulled up outside their regular coffee shop. Laughing, Gabriella jumped out of the car, grabbing her books from the boot and skipping inside, Troy a few steps behind her, carrying his own books.

"The usual?" The smiling waitress asked as they approached the counter.

"Thanks, Julie," Gabriella grinned. "And he's paying for the lot this time." She laughed and walked off towards their usual spot on the far side of the coffee shop.

"I said I'd pay for your drink, not your cheesecake!" Troy yelled after her. She just sat down, obviously not going to bother getting up again and pay. Troy rolled his eyes and Julie, the chubby elderly lady behind the counter who often served them, just held out her hand, waiting for his cash. "I guess I'm paying."

"I guess you are," she laughing and returning his change. He put the change in his pocket and walked over to where Gabriella was sitting, her books already laid out on the table with her calculator next to her and a pen hooked behind her ear. She was looking at the book in front of her, her brow furrowed in concentration as she read her homework. Troy watched her for a moment. She looked so cute, biting on her lower lip slightly, which was full and shining with her usual lip gloss. For a moment, Troy wondered what it would be like to kiss her. The thought scared him and he shook his head straight away. What was he thinking? She was his best friend. How could he even be thinking that about her? But even as he stood there, the thought crept back into his mind, what it would be like to run his fingers through her long, silky tresses, or kiss that cute little nose which crinkled up whenever she made adorable faces at him.

"Troy?" He jumped slightly at the voice, pulled out of his daydream. "Everythings ready." He truned around and saw Julie standing there with their refreshments on a tray. He moved out of her way so that she could get past him and put everything down on the table. Gabriella looked up and gave Julie a dazzling smile before taking a sip of her drink and smiling.

"Heaven. Thanks, Julie," she said with an appreciative smile. Troy smiled and took a seat opposite her, placing his own books on the table. "Okay, so, what we doing today?" She asked him, looking over at what books he had. "Algebra. Right." And with that, they were off. She explained everything exactly the way he understood when he became stuck on a question and the work was completed within half an hour. They laughed and stayed talking in the café long after everyone had left and Julie had to come over and usher them out. The got into her car and she put the top up, turning the heater on to heat them against the chill of the coming night. Troy put on his choice of music, and Gabriella drove, the scenery of their fimilar hometown rushing past them. She pulled up outside his place and they both looked up at the house. "I guess I'll see you tomorrow." Troy's face seemed to close down as she gave him a farewell smile. He looked up at the house with an off expression.

"I guess so," he replied, undoing his buckle. Gabriella picked up on something in his voice and expression that was off and put her hand on his arm as he went to open his door.

"Is something wrong?" She asked. Troy hesitated for a moment, and then shook his head.

"No, I'll see you tomorrow, Gabs," he said with a forced smile. She smiled back, wondering if he was hiding something. As he got out of the car and she watched his retreating figure, she shook her head. Troy wouldn't hide anything from her. He never did, that just wasn't how their relationship worked. With the thought dismissed, she backed out of the drive and started down the road, heading home. She had no-one there, so there wasn't much reason to rush. All she looked forward to when she got home was an empty cold house, that she was going to have to try and warm, and then cook her dinner, finish her homework and maybe watch some TV before going to bed. It sounded so lonely, and it made Gabriella want to turn around and drive back to Troy's and ask for him to spend the night with her. With a flash of inspiration she decided that was what she was going to do.

She pulled into a driveway and then turned, driving back down the road and then pulling into the Bolton driveway. Something felt wrong though as soon as she got out of the car and made her way up to the door. The house was silent, and the Bolton household was never silent. It was always full of life at almost any time of the day, including the night, with either talking, or the radio or the TV. She remembered pointing this out to Lucille Bolton at one point, and she had laughed and said a silent home was an unhappy home. Gabriella made her way up to the door and knocked twice, looking through the small window beside the door. She heard somone's steps grow closer and then the door opened and a person she ahd never seen before stood there.

"Hello," he said, his voice sounding so silky smooth it almost sounded slimy. She tried not to let her disgust show on her face as she said,

"Uhm, is Troy here?" The man looked over his shoulder and yelled,

"Troy!" Troy was at his side in several moments and looked surprised to see Gabriella standing there.

"Hey, uh, Gabi," he said, looking out of the corner of his eye at the man standing here.

"Hey," Gabriella replied, looking confused, wondering also why she hadn't been invited in.

"Aren't you going to introduce us?" The man asked, his eyes running over Gabriella in a way that made her feel as though he was picturing her naked. She didn't want to know this man, and she didn't want him to know here. But her mother had taught her to always be polite and she held out her hand, forcing a bright smile onto her face.

"My name's Gabriella Montez," she said, trying to look happy.

"I'm David Bolton, Jack's brother," he replied. Gabriella shook her hand, trying to ignore how he held her hand for a few extra moments.

"I was just wondering if you wanted to stay the night, Troy," she said, turning her attention back to Troy. His eyes lit up as he picked up his books which had been put on the table beside the door.

"Sure!" He began out the door, but then David put a hand on Troy's arm.

"What about clothes? And dinner?" David asked, a strange tone in his voice. Troy hesitated then moved out of his grip.

"I always have spare clothes at Gabriella's, and there's dinner in the microwave," he said, before following Gabriella to her car. Gabriella waved over her shoulder to David and then got in the car, starting the engine and backing down the drive. The relief on Troy's face was obvious as they began down the road, but Gabriella could tell that he didn't want to talk about it. Instead, she turned on the radio, and started singing to an old Gwen Stefani hit.

_Please comment!_

_x  
_


	4. Chapter 4

_Showing a few more cracks in paradise in this chapter, and a bit of a sweet edge. I hope everyone likes it._

"You, uh, never mentioned that your uncle was staying with you," Gabriella said as she opened up the front door and they walked inside. Troy followed her and then strayed to the lounge, where he turned on the TV and sat down on the couch in a slouched position which said he was very comfortable in this enviroment. He didn't answer her and Gabriella sat down opposite him, confused. "Troy?" He looked over and her and sighed.

"Mum and dad went away for a few weeks. One of mums aunties is sick and they say there's a good chance that she's not going to make it. So they went to see her and spend the last few weeks with her." Gabriella shook her head.

"Ohmigod, that's so sad. Are you okay?" He nodded shortly. "So why is your uncle here? You could've just stayed with me, or Chad."

"Well, David has been out of a job for a couple of months, and he just split up with his wife. She was really nice, we all liked her. And so things haven't been going so well, financially and otherwise. So mum and dad said he could come stay here, and they're paying him to look after me," Troy's voice went bitter. "Like I'm ten." Gabriella was confused. It wasn't like Troy to act this way. Usually, he wanted to help people who were in trouble, and it sounded as though his uncle was. The Troy she had known for so long wouldn't care that he was being looked over by another family member if they were in that much trouble.

"There's gotta be something else," she began. "What's wrong? You sound…Upset." Troy shrugged, his face closing up and he turned on the television. Gabriella sighed, still confused. She got up, walking into the kitchen. She heard Troy move around behind her as she opened up the cupboards, looking for something to eat. "Are you hungry?" She called over her shoulder.

"Not really," Troy called back. Gabriella went still again. Troy? Not hungry? That was the first time she had ever heard such a thing and she had known Troy since she was nine. Something was wrong. She got a pizza out of the freezer, unwrapped it, and put it in the oven.

"I put a pizza in the oven," she said as she flopped down on the couch opposite Troy. He nodded, his eyes locked on the TV. It was an old rerun of Friends. Gabriella frowned. She loved watching reruns of the show, but Troy hated it. He always complained when she changed the channel to two at that time of night. They would have argument after argument about the show. And yet here he was, his eyes glued to the screen as though it was the most interesting thing around. And that was after he had told her he wasn't hungry.

Something was definitly wrong.

"Troy? I know you might not want to talk about, but don't lie to me about nothing being wrong," she said softly. Troy looked over at her. For a long moment, their eyes were connected and silence fell uncomfortably between them. Troy nodded slowly.

"Okay, I won't tell you nothings wrong," he said to her. "But I won't tell you whats wrong." Gabriella couldn't help but feel hurt, but she nodded, knowing that he would open up to her when he felt he needed too. She grabbed two cans from the fridge and sat back down next to Troy. She flicked through the channels until she found a movie.

"You alright with this one?" She asked him. Troy nodded. Gabriella sighed. Something was wrong with her bestfriend. And it worried her.

* * *

That night, Troy couldn't sleep. All he could think about was Gabriella. He had watched her that night, brush her teeth, and then comb out her hair and put it into a ponytail. Then change into a singlet and a pair of his boxers. Then she went around her room and cleaned anything that was out of place or untidy, laid out her outfit for the next day and then finally, drank a glass of milk. He had watched her go through this routine many times, often times he had teased about the routine she preformed so religously each night. But tonight, as she done these things and then slid between the covers of her bed, he felt a pull in his stomach and his heart. He had wanted to climb in next to her, feel her arms around him, fall asleep with her breath kissing his cheeks. Without registering completely what he was doing, he pushed off the blanket and climbed off the couch, walking up the stairs to Gabriella's room. Her breathing rythmic, her sleep a deep one. He walked over to her bed, gently pulling the duvet back and climbing in next to her. Her breathing jumped slightly and he hesitated.

"Gabi?" He asked softly. There was no reply, and he slid completely under the covers, pulling the duvet back over them. The bed was warm, and Gabriella molded herself against him, her head fitting snuggly into the crook of his arm as he put it around her. As he moved around to get comfortable, Gabriella opened her eyes slightly.

"Troy?" She murmured.

"Is this okay?" He asked her. Gabriella's eyes closed again as she nodded ever so slightly, a smile crossing her lips. Her breathing became normal again and she fell back into a deep sleep. The smell of her peach shampoo filled his nostrils and he felt his eyes droop. Her chest rose and fell against his sturdy chest and the rythmic sound of her breathing soothed him. His eyes shut completely and he was in a deep sleep within minutes.

* * *

When Gabriella awoke in the morning, she was hugged close to Troy's body. For a moment, she felt shock run through her, then she remembered vaguely Troy last night, sliding in next to her, whispering her name. She closed her eyes again, just enjoying the bodyheat, and the comfort coming from her bestfriend. Then, she saw the time on the alarm flashing, and she realized that they were going to be late for school if they didn't start moving soon.

"Troy?" She whispered. "Troy you have to wake up. We have to get ready for school." He rolled over, trapping her underneath him.

"Don't wanna get up," he grumbled. She felt a bubble of laughter rise in her throat, and then she realized what situation she was in. She was in a tiny singlet and boxers and Troy was in...Just boxers. She felt a funny feeling inside as she realized they had fallen asleep together, hugged up with each other, in this attire.

"Troy, Troy we have school," she repeated more forcefully. She pushed his arm off her and got out of bed, quickly grabbing the clothes on her seat and walking quickly to the bathroom across the hall. She was changed in a matter of minutes, and brushed her teeth and put on her makeup. It only took twenty minutes from her to go from the sleepy, beautiful Gabriella, to the the gorgeous, ready-to-face-the-world Gabriella everyone saw. When she walked back into her bedroom, Troy was just sitting up, blinking sleepily, looking adorable in his sleepy, mussed up state.

"The fact you can get up and be ready in only minutes is unnatural," Troy mumbled, rubbing his eyes.

"It's been half and hour since my alarm went off," Gabriella replied with a smile, crossing the room to open the curtains. There was a groan from Troy as the sunlight hit him and he drived back under the duvet and pulled it shut around his head.

"Half an hour is a merely minutes when it's seven thirty in the morning!" He called from his burrow. Gabriella rolled her eyes and left the room, knowing he would get up and be ready in seconds once he realized she would leave without him. She was right, she went outside and turned on her car to warm the engine and Troy was at the door, his hair looking slightly damp from wetting his hands and running through his hair to give it the styly, messy look, and dressed in a black hoodie and a pair of jeans.

"Morning sleepyhead!" Gabriella called cheerfully from her seat in the car. Troy rolled his eyes and slammed the door shut behind him as he walked over and got into the passenger seat. When the engine was fully charged, Gabriella turned the key and they backed out of the drive. When Gabriella turned to check both ways for traffic, and then change gears, her arm brushed against Troy's, and the hairs on his arm raised. Everything from last night came flooding back, the urge to climb into bed beside her, being close to her with her head snuggled up to him. Things felt perfect.

But it was Gabriella! His bestfriend!

Things weren't supposed to perfect in that particular sense with Gabriella!

That was what he kept repeating as they sped through the streets on their way to school.

_Please review x_


	5. Chapter 5

_Hey, hope everyone enjoys this chapter._

Sharpay wasn't at school. Gabriella sent her a text when she arrived and realized her friend wasn't there, and then Ryan a text when he also wasn't there. He rushed into formclass five minutes late, his face a thundercloud. Ryan hated being late for anything, even formclass. His hair was done perfectly, but his hat was pushed backwards slightly, not put on straight, not tilted stylishly to a side, but pushed backwards, and his hair was also pulled backwards which emphasized his forehead, which was a feature that Ryan was rather insecure about. As soon as Gabriella saw him with his forehead well on display, she knew that something was wrong. He slumped down at the back of the class, another thing that never happened. Ryan always liked to be at the front of the class, his back straight, paying attention to everything that was happening. Gabriella managed to contain herself until the bell rang, and then she was after Ryan. Taylor stepped back when she saw the determined look on her friends face. Ryan stormed down the hallway, people spreading in directions to get out of the way.

"Ryan!" Gabriella called. "Oi, Ryan!" Gabriella finally caught up with him and grabbed his arm. He turned around, and his expression softened when he saw her. "Where's Sharpay? And why are you walking around as though the world's going to end?" Ryan sighed and leaned against a locker.

"Because it is, when mummy and daddy find out what happened with Sharpay," he muttered.

"What happened?" Gabriella asked, her voice filled with worried. "Is she okay?"

"I don't know!" Ryan hissed. "Last night, she had these three guys over, I didn't know any of them. I stayed with them in the lounge for a little bit, but then they started drinking, and you know I hate being around Sharpay when she drinks." Gabriella nodded. Sharpay's drinking got out of hand pretty quickly, and although Ryan always tried to look out for his sister, he hated seeing her throw herself at guys, hook up with them, her hands going astray, and given she was still in the house, he must have figured nothing too bad would happen. "And when I came down at about two this morning, I couldn't find her. Mum and dad are at this meeting out of town and they get back this afternoon. I have rung her phone so many times, driven around town, driven to all the clubs and bars, the liqour stores...I can't find her. And I don't know the guys she was with. Usually I know the guys that she's with, but I didn't know these ones." Gabriella was already pulling her phone out of her pocket and dialling Sharpay's number. "Mummy and daddy are going to freak out if she's not there when they get back-I'm freaking out! I have absolutely no clue where she is and I'm worried about! You know how she can be when she's drunk!" Gabriella nodded as Sharpay's phone clicked to answer phone.

"Shar? It's Gabriella. Where are you? Ryan's worried about you, I'm worried about you. Please answer?" She took her phone away from her ear and dropped it in her pocket. "We better get to class, okay? We'll try her again in between next period." Ryan nodded, his face pale with worry. Gabriella gave his arm a squeeze as they walked toward the labs.

* * *

Sharpay still couldn't be reached by lunchtime. Ryan was going out of his mind with worry, and even Chad, who was nowhere near Sharpay's biggest fan, admitted that something might be wrong.

"Look, tell me what they looked like," Gabriella asked. Ryan sighed, looking sick.

"The first guy had brown hair, and it was spiked up, with the blonde streaks," he looked miserable. "He looked like one of the guys that would be trouble. He was the one doing all the talking, and he had an earring and had these weird designs cut into his hair on one side." Gabriella straigtened up at that. "The second guy had brown hair and was wearing really baggy clothes. He looked as though he was wearing foundation, which was odd," he shook his head at that. "And the last guy I didn't really see, he was just sitting in the corner smoking. And he burnt one of mummy's cushions." Everyone sat and thought, Gabriella looking especially worried as she sat and fidgeted with her napkin.

"Screw it," Gabriella finally said, getting up. "Mum's not going to be home until at least the end of the week, so it's not the like the teachers are going to get anywhere if they try to ring the home."

"Where are you going?" Ryan asked.

"I'm going to try and find Sharpay," she said, picking up her bag and leaving the cafateria. As she walked toward the carpark, she heard footsteps running after her, and she turned to see Troy following.

"I'll come with you, might as well have a partner in crime," he told her with a half smile.

"Oh really?" She asked. "And what's my crime?"

"Ditching school," Troy answered. Gabriella nodded. They reached her car and she unlocked it, sliding gracefully into the drivers seat, her long hair breezing out behind her, exposing her delicate neck and the smooth skin that stretched from her ears until it reached the collar of her polo shirt. Troy couldn't help but let his mouth drop slightly. He so wanted to reach out and plant a kiss on that Latina skin. He felt a shiver run through him as he realized what he had been thinking. He had to stop these thoughts! He didn't know why they kept jumping into his head. He really shouldn't be thinking these things about his bestfriend. But then, he really shouldn't have hopped into bed with her last night. That was why all these thoughts were running through his head. Because he had been in bed with her, her body pressed against his.

He had to make sure he never done that again.

"Troy? Did you hear anything I just said?" Gabriella asked, as she turned on the car and put on her belt. Troy shook his head. "I said you need to hop in the car so that we can actually leave." Troy shook his head and opened the door.

"Sorry. My bad," he muttered, closing the door behind him and putting his belt on. "So, where do you think that Sharpay could be?" Gabriella sighed as she pulled out of the school carpark.

"There's this one guy, I know she's drunk with before," Gabriella rolled her eyes. "Well, I know lots of guys that's she drunk with before. But the first guy that Ryan described, I think I know who it was. Actually, I'm pretty sure I know who it was." Her face hardened as they sped along the road, out of the main town, and toward the streets where the houses were spread apart, not because they had big properties, but because there were lots of patches in between the houses where the grass was growing wild and straggling over falling fencelines.

"Gabriella," Troy began, as they past a rundown shack that Troy knew was a well-used tinney house. "How exactly do you know this guy?" Gabriella pulled up outside a house where the curtains were drawn, the lawn was surprisingly mown, and there was a shiney, boy-racer car parked outside in the driveway. Gabriella turned off the car and looked at the house, taking a deep breath. "Bella?" He pressed.

"Because I used to go out with him," Gabriella answered as the door opened, and a guy with spikey hair, a tattoo stretched from his arm across his bare chest, which was toned, tanned and muscular looking. She sighed and got out of the car, walking up the drive and meeting him halfway. He met her with open arms, smiling and hugging her, kissing her easily on the cheek. Troy's jaw tensed as she kissed him back.

_Please review!_


	6. Chapter 6

_This chapter shows a different side of Gabriella, sort of a more daring side, ya know, she's gone out with the rebel guy and everything. It's also developing Troy's feelings toward her. This is really just a filler chapter, to show a bit more about Troy and Gabriella and then show a bit more of Sharpay's problem. So, I hope you enjoy!_

So many scenario's sprung to Troy's head as Gabriella ushered him into the house. The curtains were drawn and there was the smell of weed hanging in the musty air. Out of all the scenario's that were playing through his mind, playing nice with this guy and sitting on his sofa, smiling politely was not one of them. And yet that was what he was doing, sitting next to this guy that Gabriella had apparently gone out with. Troy hadn't even known Gabriella to have a boyfriend in the past year, desppite being the most attractive girl in their year, and definitly the sweetest and smartest. And she had gone out with this guy.

"So, Dane, is Sharpay here?" Gabriella asked, standing in the doorway leading to a hallway. She didn't look uncomfortable at all, leaning against the doorframe and glancing around the room. "Well, not much has changed here," she grinned over at him. Their ease with each other made Troy feel out of place.

"Well, you were just here two weeks ago," Dane Mitchell pointed out, grinning back. Gabriella's cheeks reddened slightly and she stepped into the hallway. Troy's eyes went from Dane to Gabriella, and then back again. What was happening here? What was going on? Gabriella didn't blush. Gabriella didn't do things that MADE her blush! And this guy, this guy wearing no shirt at one in the afternoon and spikey, waxed up hair, was making his Gabriella blush. "Anyway, she's in the room at the end. Thought you might come around looking for her." He rolled his eyes. "God, she's a nutty one, aye?" Gabriella sighed and disappeared. Troy got up and followed her down the hallway. She pushed open the door and sprawled across the bed in the corner of the room, was Sharpay. She was sleeping deeply, her snores filling the room. There was a blanket covering her, and her hair was splayed out across the pillow and straggling around her face. Dane appeared behind them and slung his arm easily around Gabriella's shoulders.

"She text me yesterday and said she wanted a drink. Thought you'd be there so I went along," he shrugged. "When you weren't, and Micheal was already there, I thought I better stick around. Make sure that she was alright."

"And she decided she wanted to go out and get drunk somewhere else? And you went with her so she wouldn't get in trouble?" Gabriella asked, raising an eyebrow. Dane nodded and laughed.

"She's a determined bitch," he shook his head. "Especially when she's drunk." Gabriella nodded and walked over to the bed. She knelt beside the bed and shook Sharpay's shoulder gently. There was a groan.

"Shar? Honey, you have to wake up," she shook her shoulder again. Sharpay's eyes inched open and she moaned when she saw Gabriella.

"I wanna sleep," she grunted.

"I know sweetie, but Dane has to get to work, and you have to get home to see your mum and dad, because they don't know that you went out," Gabriella pulled the blanket off the protesting Sharpay and then began to try to pull her up. "Sharpay, come on," she grunted. Troy walked over from the doorway and scooped Sharpay up in his arms.

"Come on, lets get her home," he told her, walking out of the room, watching out for her head as he began down the hallway. He stopped at the doorway leading into the lounge and looked back at Gabriella and Dane. He had his hand on her elbow and she was smiling at him. He leaned forward and kissed her on the cheek, for the second time in the matter of half an hour. Troy tried not to let the feeling of jealousy seep through him. Gabriella smiled and said something to him, then turned and followed Troy out of the room. Gabriella walked out in front of Troy and opened the back door of the car.

"Thanks," he muttered, sliding Sharpay from his arms and trying to adjust her so that she was sitting up and putting the seatbelt on. Sharpay managed to sit up, her head flopped back on the headrest, and Troy plugged in the seatbelt. He hopped into the front seat and Gabriella was already turing the car on. There was silence as they pulled out of the driveway and she drove down the street, indicating at the end of the street and then turning down another. She knew these streets well, Troy realized as they made their way back into the streets that he knew. "I...Didn't know that you were going out with someone."

"I used to," Gabriella corrected him, although not adding any furthur information. There was an uncomfortable silence, and it stretched on for a while.

"When did you start going out with him?" Troy asked, trying to sound curious but not overly interested. Gabriella shrugged.

"Maybe about a year ago. But we didn't go out for very long," she replied. She didn't look like she didn't want to continue the conversation, but she wasn't helping to carry it on.

"Uh, did Taylor ever meet him?" He asked. "Sharpay obviously has."

"I met him through Sharpay, actually," Gabriella replied, finally expanding on an answer. "He was friends with one of the guys that Sharpay was hooking up with at one stage. I had gone along with her, and he was the only other sober one there. I think Taylor might have met him once, when he took me to the end of school production with me at the end of the year." Troy frowned, remembering Gabriella mentioning going to the production but he didn't remember anything about attending it with a guy, and he was pretty sure he would remember something like that.

"So, how long did you guys go out for?" He asked.

"Look, Troy, I told you I went out with him," Gabriella began, her voice sounding tight. "I told you his name, I told you how we met, and I told you when we broke up. But you were so wrapped up in your basketball-always have been-and sometimes you just let small things slip your mind." Troy frowned.

"What are you talking about? You're my bestfriend, I remember everything that you tell me," he raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"Well, obviously you didn't remember Dane," Gabriella stated. Troy frowned but didn't reply, mainly because she was right.

He didn't remember.

* * *

That night, Troy went home and shot hoops and ran shuttles until the sweat was pouring down his face. Why was he jealous of Dane? There had been guys who had liked her in the past, ones that Gabriella had hooked up with several times. And this one guy was getting to him, and it was someone that she wasn't even with anymore. There was a bang from inside the house and Troy stopped, breathing heavily, his chest heaving up and down.

He looked up, and saw angry eyes looking back at him through the kitchen window.

He sighed.

Gabriella was one of the only things going right in his life at the moment. He had to push all these thoughts away, all those of jealousy, and wanting her. He just needed her friendship.

Coz, God he needed her.

_Please review!_


	7. Chapter 7

Two days later, Gabriella was laying on her bed. She missed Troy, and they had spent the day at school together, smiles shared in the hallways, notes passed in the classrooms. But they hadn't moved on from anything, they hadn't decided anything, there had been no agreement. There were the fuzzy feelings that filled her stomach whenever she saw him, and she saw the way his eyes lit up when she was near. But there was nothing offcial-nothing even unoffical!

It was Friday, and her mother still wasn't home. Gabriella wasn't sure when she was due back, but it hurt than whenever Gabhriella tuned into her email account, there was nothing from her, no message saying she was missed or when she was going to be back. Sitting around the house moping wasn't going to get her anywhere, Gabriella decided, adn so she got up, grabbed the keys from the table beside her bed and made her way down the stairs. She hopped in her car, turning the key and backing out of the drive, not even bothering with her seatbelt. She was at Troy's house in minutes, and a smile was already on her face. She parked her car outside, and got out, shutting the door and pulling her hoodie closer around her against the night time breeze. She walked up the drive, smiling even wider. She ran up the concrete steps to the front door and raised her hand to knock, when she heard a banging noise inside. She frowned and lowered her hand. She took a step closer to the door, pressing her ear against the wooden panel. There was the muted sound of someone yelling. Frowning even deeper, Gabriella stepped away from the door, walking backwards down the steps and then around the side of the house. There was a window, at shoulder height, which looked into the lounge. She could see David yelling at Troy, who had a vicious scowl on his face, his arms crossed. Gabriella wasn't quite sure what she was meant to do. On one hand, she didn't feel right going in there and interuppting what ever family feud was happening, afterall, David had been left in charge of Troy, and if Troy had done something wrong, David had the right to give him a telling off, or a yelling, in this case. On the other hand, though, David looked really angry, his body was tensed, his fists were clenched together, and from the half of his face that Gabriella could see, he looked red enough to explode. Gabriella bit her lip wondering whether or not once again if she should go and knock on the door, to interupt the argument and make sure that Troy was okay.

Then Troy looked up.

His peircing blue eyes met with hers and for a moment, they seemed to share a thought.

He said he was okay.

He lowered his eyes.

He asked her to leave.  
She nodded, and as much as she didn't want to, she turned and left. She got back in her car, closed the door was quietly as she could, even though she doubted they could hear it over David's yelling, and turned her car on, returning back home moments later. She went back upstairs after locking up her car and sat down on her bed. She stared out the window, at the tree outside, the leaves moving gently in the breeze. The sun was lowering in the distance, and the room was beginning to darken, shadows falling in her bedroom. She continued to stare outside, not making a move to turn on the lights and spread light throughout the room once again. The shadows turned to darkness, the room practically pitch black, save the slight light coming through the window from a street light.

Gabriella continued to sit.

To think.

She missed her mum.

She missed Troy.

Her phone rang and she looked at the ID. It was Sharpay.

"Gabriella Um Can you pick me up? Sharpay s words were slurred, and it was obvious she was drunk. Gabriella checked the time. It was only just going on half past nine. She frowned.  
"Shar, how are you drunk already? It's not even ten o'clock!" Gabriella asked. "And why do you need a pick up, why haven't you arranged your own ride?"

"Oh don't get mad at me, Gabi," Sharpay whimpered. There was rustling in the background, and she could hear music pulsating somewhere close by. "I just...I don't know anyone here."

"Then why are you there?" Gabriella asked, trying not to sound angry.  
"Gabi, can you come pick me up...?" Sharpay's voice sounded as though she was falling asleep, and Gabriella felt the worry begin to set in. She hated the way Sharpay drunk, the stupid phone calls that she continuously got, and the way she had to run around after her blonde, alcoholic bestfriend. But no matter how much she hated it, she still felt worry knock in everytime Sharpay rang, and it sounded as though she was drunk enough to fall into the arms of a random stranger and then never return.  
"Okay, Sharpay?" She asked, making sure her friend was still awake.

"Mm, Gabi?" A slurred, quiet voice replied.

"Where are you? Where do you want me to come and pick you up from?" She asked.

"Um...I'm not sure," there was a giggle, and then a hiccup. Gabriella bit back exsaperation.

"Do you have your car with you?" Gabriella asked. There was GPS in the car, and Gabriella had long ago figured out what frequency the GPS was on, using Ryan's great computer knowledge, which was another helpful tool used to track down their haywire friend and sister.

"No, I walked from my house, it's only just around the corner," Sharpay replied, another hiccup following.

"Then walk home, Sharpay," Gabriella said.

"No, can't," Sharpay answered. "I'm drunk, mummy and daddy would be verrrrrrry mad." Gabriella rolled her eyes, thinking about what to do. The Evan parents did know that their daughter drunk, although they probably didn't know quite how often she did it, how bad the habit was, and what it often led to.

"Okay, Sharpay? Sweetie? I want you to walk to the end of the driveway," Gabriella instructed. "I will drive around your block and find where you are."

"Thanks Gabi," Sharpay breathed, sounding once again as though she was going to pass out. "You're the best." Gabriella nodded, and then shut her phone, grabbing her keys once again.

"Yeah," she muttered to herself. "I know."

x


End file.
